


At the end of the world, At least I have you

by Atlanta_Black



Series: Stranger Things One-shots [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Bisexual Jonathan Byers, Bisexual Steve Harrington, F/M, Gen, M/M, Poor kids, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Relationship, repressed trauma, robin is a good friend, the best friend, they're all traumatized, this is that, you know how they say gays flock to each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atlanta_Black/pseuds/Atlanta_Black
Summary: The lull of peace following the latest monster feels as if it will stretch on forever.But in the gap between one monster and the next Steve gets to deal with a host of other problems.Namely the fact that Nancy and Jonathan are acting strange around him.At least he has Robin to help him through this.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington
Series: Stranger Things One-shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875175
Comments: 4
Kudos: 156
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	At the end of the world, At least I have you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gloss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gloss/gifts).



> I really hope you like Steve/Nancy/Jonathan as a pairing! I was gonna just write a cute fluffy friendship fic but uhhhhh, it got away from me and we got this instead!
> 
> I hope you enjoy it <3

_"We are here_

__

_to laugh at the odds_

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_and live our lives_

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_so well_

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_that death will tremble_

__

_to take us."_

__

_-Charles Bukowski_

__

  


* * *

  


He’s surprised it took this long for the nightmares to make sleeping difficult. Or rather, to make sleeping next to impossible.

It’s been four days since the monster had died (again) and he thinks he’s gotten a grand total of 10 hours of sleep during that time. Ten hours might be generous really. The point is, he’s exhausted. But every time he closes his eyes all he can hear is screaming and the sound of someone he loves dying.

Sometimes it’s Robin, eyes dull and vacant while Dustin screams. Other times it’s Dustin or Erica looking far too small to be so horrifyingly still. Far too often it’s Nancy or Jonathan. The nightmares twisting all the times they’ve all nearly died into some horrifying death that doesn’t make any sense but still leaves him waking up sweaty and shaking.

He thinks maybe it's finally hit him that this probably won’t be the last time they’re all scared and in danger. Everything always seems goes to shit right when they all start to get comfortable.

Right when they all think maybe they can begin to move forward with their lives.

Why should this time be any different? Every time they think they’ve ended the big bad monster and every time it creeps back into their life twice as horrifying and just as deadly.

And now… now he has even more people that he’s scared to lose. He thinks Robin may be the closest thing to a friend or a sister that he’s ever had. Wishes she’d never gotten dragged into this fucking mess.

He blinks up at the moonlight dragging across his ceiling and sighs. Looks like day five was going to start at three in the morning after a grand total of 2 hours of sleep. How long can he really keep this up for?

  


* * *

  


He stumbles into the video store, five minutes late and coffee clutched tight. Stumbles in and trips over his own feet as he comes to a stop. Has to blink furiously for several minutes and focus on the heat of the coffee seeping into his hand before he decides that yes, this is real.

Nancy has one hip propped against the counter, arms crossed as she leans forward and whispers something to Robin. Jonathan is curiously looking at something off in the corner, shoulders tense and hands shoved in his pockets. He hasn’t seen either of them since the fight and he’s not really sure why they’re here now.

Maybe he’d be less confused if they’d all hung out before the battle but they never had. He’d seen them around a few times but after they’d saved Will the second time they’d all just drifted back apart. The breakup had still been too fresh for him to seek either of them out and every time he saw them Jonathan would get this pained, embarrassed look on his face. It had seemed easier to just let them be and do his own thing. He’d expected the same thing to happen this time but here they were. At his job. Talking to Robin.

Well more accurately Nancy is talking to Robin while Jonathan stands awkwardly in the corner.

Robin looks away from where she’s been intently listening to Nancy, which is strange in itself, and spots him. Her face lights up immediately, a wide, almost manic grin spreading across her face and he feels his stomach drop to his feet. That smile can’t mean anything good for him and he is honestly far too tired for this.

“Steve! You’re here finally!” She calls, smile still a little too big.

Nancy’s head snaps around so fast she nearly unbalances herself. At the same time Jonathan spins around, jacket catching on the rack of movies he’s been staring at and sending it crashing to the floor.

There’s a loud crash as the movies go flying everywhere and then silence as they all awkwardly stare at each other.

“Nancy. Jonathan. Um… what are you two doing here?” He finally asks, rubs at the back of his neck.

Nancy grimaces, bites her lip and glances at Jonathan. Jonathan however is staring at Steve with wide eyes and a blush starting to work its way over his face. It’s all very strange.

“We--” Nancy starts, cuts herself off, glances at Jonathan again. “We wanted to see how you both are. How you’re doing?”

He takes a sip of his coffee. Stares at them. Looks over at Robin again who is watching them all with the most fascinated expression. “Okay.” He draws the word out and watches the way Nancy fidgets. Raises an eyebrow at Jonathan who still looks far too shocked. “You good Byers?”

“Yeah,” Jonathan blurts, chin automatically ducking down. “I’m good. Fine.”

Steve stares. Right. Okay then. “So… if that’s all then I’m just gonna get to work I guess.” He mutters heading back behind the counter and ignoring the way Nancy takes a step towards him.

“Hey there, Buttercup.” Robin chirps when he comes around the counter. “I can’t believe you were late, _again,_ and didn’t bring me any coffee.”

He pulls a face and doesn’t answer, which causes her to frown.

“I’m going to go…” He hesitates, glances over at Nancy, who is still leaning against the counter watching him with wide eyes and a strange downturned twist at the corner of her mouth. “I’m going to go unload the boxes in the back.” He mutters, turns and pushes his way through the door leading to the backroom. He thinks Robin says something to his back but he’s not listening.

He’s only halfway through the first box when Robin comes striding through the door, one hand on her hip and mouth pursed.

“Alright dumbass. Wanna tell me what that was about?”

He grimaces, tries to look through the door still half open behind her.

“They’re gone.” she mutters, rolls her eyes. “Thought you said you were over your ex?”

He tries really hard to not react to that. He still ends up twitching and he knows Robin saw it. “I am over them.” He says to the box, refuses to look back up.

She snorts. “Yes, you’re all clearly over each other. That was all very chill and platonic and not at all awkward for me to witness.” She drawls, voice flat.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I am over her and she’s over me and Jonathan got the girl. Dunno why you’re making such a big deal over this.” Maybe if he ignores the way his fingers are gripping the box in front of him, ignores the way his chest feels too tight and his skin feels too warm - maybe he can pretend he’s telling the truth.

She sighs, quiet enough that he barely hears her and then comes to sit down next to him, lightly bumping her shoulder into his.

“You’re an idiot.” She murmurs, voice soft and gentle. “It couldn’t be more clear that you’re in love with them if you screamed it from the roof.”

His eyes snap to her, heart thundering. “Excuse me? Them?” He exclaims, voice strained and a touch to high.

She blinks at him for a second, looking just as confused as he feels before something close to regret flickers across her face. It’s gone in a flash and she drags a hand through her hair. “I thought you knew.” she grimaces. “I wouldn’t have said anything otherwise.”

“Thought I knew what?” He dimly registers the cardboard scraping painfully at his palms.

Her mouth twists downward, eerily reminiscent to the expression on Nancy’s face earlier. “They’re both in love with you. Nancy _and_ Jonathan.”

There’s a roaring noise and as if from far away he hears himself laugh. And then laugh again. And then he keeps laughing because that must be the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. And even if it was true, it wouldn’t matter. Because he is _not_ in love with Nancy anymore and he definitely isn’t in love with Jonathan fucking Byers.

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” he chokes out, laughter still bubbling out of him, heart racing.

He hadn’t thought it possible but her mouth manages to twist down even farther.

“Which part exactly?” she asks, voice slow and measured in a way he’s only heard once. Slow and measured the same way it had been when they’d been sitting on the bathroom floor, lights still spinning and fear still racing through their veins. Measured in a way that he’d never thought to hear again.

“All of it!” He snaps, wincing as the cardboard slips down his palm, stinging in a way that signals a cut. “Nancy doesn’t love me. Jonathan definitely isn’t interested me. I’m _not_ in love with them. I’m straight!” He wonders belatedly if he should have started with that. That should have been the first thing he said, right?

“Are you…” she hesitates, purses her lips, gently presses a hand to his arm. “Are you sure? That you’re straight?”

He snaps around to stare at her, heart racing so fast it feels as if it’s trying to escape his body. Of course he’s straight. He watches her bite her lip, face regretful but sure. Thinks of the absolute surety in her voice when she’d announced that he was in love with them.

Is he sure? Of course. Of course he’s sure.

Oh, he knows he’s lying about not being in love with Nancy anymore. If you tell yourself a lie enough eventually it starts to feel true. Starts to feel like maybe if you think it hard enough it’ll become true. But he’s not in love with Jonathan.

He’s not.

He can’t be.

He just… can’t be.

If he’s in love with Jonathan then that means that he’s lost both of them.

Unbidden a snapshot of his dream drags itself forward and he bites down the scream that wants to tear from him. Jonathan is falling into a hole that’s closed and gone by the time Steve reaches it. Jonathan is falling but by the time Steve reaches the hole his screams have stopped. Jonathan is falling. Jonathan is falling.

And in all of them, Nancy presses soft hands to his face and croons _this is your fault. This is all your fault. Now neither of us can ever be happy._

Robin is still staring at him, hand still on his arm, eyes still soft and sad. He sighs, lets go of the box and puts his hand on top of hers.

“No.” He whispers, feels the word scrape against the back of his throat, feels the weight of what he’s admitting settle heavy on his shoulders. “No, I’m not sure. But it doesn’t matter. They’re fine without me.”

She huffs, the sadness disappearing as fast as it appeared. “You’re an idiot. Did you not hear anything I said?”

“Excus--” He starts, drawing himself up in offense.

“I very clearly said that they’re _both_ in love with you. Maybe they are fine.” She rolls her eyes, contradicting herself. “But just because they’re fine doesn't mean they’re happy without you.”

He nods slowly, turns the words over in his mind. “What was Nancy talking to you about?” He asks, remembering suddenly the oddly focused expression that Robin had been staring at Nancy with.

Robin’s smirk almost makes him regret asking. “She was asking me about us.” She says, voice calm.

“Us? What about us?” He asks blankly. What is there to ask about?

“Oh my god, Steve.” She flings herself dramatically off of the chair. “Why are you so lame?”

“I’m not lame! You’re lame!” He grabs a handful of the packing peanuts in the box and flings them at her. Smiles at her laughter.

“She wanted to know if we were sleeping together.” She announces, loud enough that anyone in the store could hear her.

He gapes. “Nooooooooo, what did you tell her?” He squints, already anticipating whatever chaotic answer Robin had come up with.

“Oh, don’t look so worried, Steve.” She grins up at him, smile bright and clear. “I just told her the truth. That you’re far too hung over her and Byers to ever be interested in me.”

“You’re a brat.” He announces, pushing the dread in his chest down. Labels it as something to deal with much, much later. “A fucking brat. I’m telling Tammy that you had a crush on her in high school.”

“Don’t you fucking dare, Harrington.” She hisses, poking him in the side with her foot. “I will end you.”

“Pft. Like you could.” He crosses his arms, sticks his nose in the air and looks down at her.

“I’ll get Erica to help me.” She says smugly.

He grimaces. “Please, do not. She would have far too much fun with that.”

She smiles up at him, lips twitching with laughter and he feels some of the dread slip away. Yeah, life was shit and there was probably going to be another monster after them in a year. He’d have to either figure out how to avoid Nancy and Jonathan for the rest of his life or actually deal with this issue. But, at least he has a friend to help him through it all. At least he has someone to help him look after all these small, accident attracting children.

At least he had a friend. Even if she was a giant pain in his ass. He throws another handful of packing peanuts at her and smiles as her outraged shrieks fill the store.

Everything would be just fine.


End file.
